Oiling system for sewing machines



Jan. 13, 1931. Nv v c s s 1,788.859

OILING SYSTEM FOR SEWING MACHINES 2 sheet' 'ii sheefq k1 Filed Nov '7, 1928 v 2 Sheets-Shef 2 gwue/ntoz Jan. 13, 1931. N. v. CHRISTENSEN OILING SYSTEM FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 7, 1928 v Patented" Jan. 13, .1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NORMAN V. CHRISTENSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MA.-

' CHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS OILING SYSTEM FOR SEWING- MACHINES Application filed November 7, 1928. Serial 1T0. 317,872.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in oiling systems for sewing machines and the present application is a continuation in part of my application, Serial Number 191,768, filed May 16, 1927.

An object of the invention is to provide an. oiling system for sewing machines whereby the parts on the main shaft for actuating the needle, feed, and the looper are all lubricated from a single source of supply.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above type wherein illustration one oil is supplied to the actuating parts by pipes leading from a supply reservoir and wherein the reservoir is provided with absorbent wicks for equally distributing the oil to the supply pipes- A further object of the invention is to provide an oiling system of the above type for the actuating parts of the sewing machine wherein a supply reservoir is attached to the inner face of a removable cover plate for an opening in the frame and wherein the pipes for distributing the oil to the actuating parts are rigidly attached to the reservoir and removable with the cover plate.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an oiling system of the above type wherein certain of the actuated devices are provided with chambers adapted to receive the surplus oil supplied to the actuating parts associated therewith.

These and other objects will in part-be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings whichshow by way of embodiment of the invention:--

Fig. 1 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in section-showing a sewing machine having my improved oiling system applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the sewing machine head showing the needle actuating mechanism.

- Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the end of 8 one of the supply pipes.

The invention is shown as applied to a sewing machine having an upper frame member 1 in which is mounted a main actuating shaft 2. The main actuating shaft 2 is'driven by a belt wheel 3. On the main actuating shaft 2 is an eccentric 4 with which an eccentric strap 5 cooperates. This eccentric strap 5 is for the purpose of raising and lowering the feed bar. Adjacent the eccentric 4 is an eccentric 6,with which an eccentric strap 7 is associated. This eccentric strap moves the feed dog back and forth, and also imparts a needle avoiding movement to the looper. On the end of the main actuating shaft 2 is an eccentric member 8 which is in the form of a crank, and cooperating with this'crank 8 is a link 9 which operates through suitable de: vices for moving the looper into and out of the needle thread loop.

' In the head of the machine is a lever 10, which is fulcrumed at 11. This lever 10 is oscillated by a link 12 connected to a crank 13 formed in the main actuating shaft 2. It will be seen from the above that the machine to which the oiling system is applied includes a single rotating actuating shaft provided with a series of eccentric members which cooperate with devices for reciprocating the needle, raising and lowering the feed dog and moving it back and forth for its feed stroke, and which move the looper into and out of the needlethread loop and impart a lateral or needle avoiding movement to the looper.

The oiling system consists of an oil retaining reservoir 14 which is preferably attached to the inner face of a detachable cover plate 38 covering an opening leading into the hollow' frame above the main actuating shaft 2. This cover plate is held to the frame by suitable screws, which are indicated at 39 in the drawings. These screws pass through the opening 40 of the cover plate. The reservoir is provided with wicks 15 of any suitable absorbent material. Attached to the cover plate and directly above the reservoir 14 is an oil cup 16 which feeds oil to the reservoir. A control valve 17 is provided for controlling the flow of oil into the reservoir 14. Rigidly attached to the reservoir 14 is a pipe 18. One of the wicks 15 extends into this pipe and :thus insures that the oil will pass from the any sediment in the oil from fiowing into the pipe, the wick taking up the oil only and directing it into the pipe. The pipe 18 extends through an opening 41 through the bearing 42 for the main actuating shaft 2. The opening is larger than the pipe so that the pipe may be freely inserted endwise through the opening. The pipe terminates at a point directly above and close to the path of oscillation of the projecting lip 20 formed on the link 12 (see Fig. 2). This lip 20 is at one side of the passage 21 which leads down through the link to the crank 13.

The wick is very loose in the pipe and extends the length thereof and projects from the end of the pipe as indicated at 19. The oil fiowin through the pipe will accumulate in the wic and form in a drop at the end of the wick. As the crank 13 rotates, the lip 20 will move so close to the wick end projecting from this pipe 18 as to take this drop of oil and the oil will pass down through the pas sage 21 and lubricate the crank or eccentric member 13 andthe parts cooperating there with. Extending from the reservoir is a pipe 22 which terminates at a point lying in the plane of rotation of the eccentric 4 and directly above the same. The eccentric strap 5 cooperating with the eccentric 4 has a cupshaped recess 24 in the upper end thereof and a passage 25 leads therefrom to the eccentric.

There is a wick extending through the pipe 22 which projects slightly therefrom. The pipeis so positioned that the cup will engage and take a drop of oil from" the end 23 of the wick and the oil will pass down through the passage 25 and lubricate the eccentric and eccentric strap cooperating therewith. The

eccentric strap has .a chamber 26 formed therein atthe lower side of the eccentric 4.

This chamber'may be. provided with a suitable absorbent pad, but is preferably empty except for the surplus oil accumulating therein. The movement of the oil in this chamber when the parts are in operation will splash the eccentric. I pipe 27 is rigidly attached to the resertmr 14 and terminates at a point in the central plane of rotation of the eccentric 6 and directly above the same. There is a wick extending through this pipe which projects therefrom as indicated at 28 and the eccentric strap 7 cooperating with the eccentric 6 is provided with a cup-shaped recess 29 and a passage 30 leading to the eccentric. The end 28 ofthe wick in the pipe 27 is so disposed that this cup-shaped recess 29 will take a drop of oil in its rotation from the wick.

the same purpose.

Rigidly attached to the reservoir 14 is av .pipe 33 which terminates at a point in a plane containing the central plane of rotation of the crank 8 and directly above the same. There is a wick extending through the pipe 33 which projects beyond the end thereof as indicated at 34. The link 9 at its outer end is provided with a cup-shaped recess 35 and a passage 36 leading to the crank.8 The end of the wick in the pipe 33 is so disposed that this cup-shaped recess 35 will take a drop of oil from the wick as the crank rotates. The

link 9 is provided with a chamber 37 which operates in a manner similar to the chamber The three pipes 22,27, and 33 are, as stated, rigidly attached to the reservoir at about the same level-and this level is above the bottom of the reservoir. The wicks in the reservoir extend into these pipes for the purpose of feeding oil into the same. The three pipes are bent so as to lie one above the other at the region where the pipes pass through the hearing 42 for the shaft 2. The bearing is provided with a recess 43 (see Fig. 5). The

cover plate 38 covers this recess. The hearing 44 near the crank end of the main shaft 2 is likewise provided With a recess 45. The pipe 37 which supplies oil to the crank passes through this recess 45.

There is a hinged cover plate 46 and also a hinged c0verplate 47. These two hinged cover plates are both mounted on the same pivot rod 48 and the pivot rod 48 is attached to a bracket 49 which, in turn, is secured to the frame of the machine by suitable screws .50. These cover plates cover the recess 45.

It Will'be noted that both the recesses 43 and 45 are open at their uppei'ends, although there is a ledge slightly overhanging the recess 45 against which the cover plates rest. There is enough opening leading to the recess 45 to permit the insertion'by a vertical lateral movement of the pipe 33 into said recess when the bracket has been removed with the cover plates. When. the cover plate 38 is released,

all three of the pipes may be removed by a vertical lateral movement from the recess 43. It will be apparent, therefore, that by removing the screws 39 and the cover plates 46 and 47 together with the supporting bracket therefore then the cover plate may be manipulated so as to lift'the pipes 22, 27, and 33 from the recesses 43 and 45 and the pipe 18 can then be withdrawn from the opening 41. This permits the entire oiling system to be removed as a unit which is of great assist;

ance both in the assembling of the partsand in the cleaning of the oil pipes and the oil reservoir. The oil reservolr is made separate from the cover plate and attached thereto by suitable screws 51. By removing these screws the reservoir may be removed from the cover plate and this gives access to the pipes for cleaning the same and for cleaning the reservoir without detaching the pipes from the reservoir to which they are rigidly connected.

From the above it will be apparent that I have provided an oiling system wherein the actuating parts on the main shaft for operating the needle, the feed, and the looper are all supplied with lubricating oil from a com mon reservoir and the reservoir is provided with means for insuring an equal distribution of the oil to the supply pipes. The parts are all lubricated when the machine is running and this insures that a proper lubricant will be supplied to the actuating and actuated parts directly associated therewith, thus permitting the machine, to be driven at very high speed and for long periods of time.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a sewing machine having a hollow frame, an actuating shaft therein, bearings in the frame for said shaft, an actuating member carried by the shaft, a cover plate for an opening in the frame, a

. supply reservoir attached to the cover plate,

means for supplying said reservoir with oil, a distributing pipe attached to the reservoir and removable from the machine with the cover plate, said bearing having a recess in its upper face closed by the cover plate in which said pipe may be inserted when the cover plate is attached to the machine.

2. The combination of a sewing machine having a hollow frame, an actuating shaft therein, bearings in the frame for said shaft, actuating members carried by the shaft, a cover plate for an opening in the frame, a reservoir attached to the inner face of the cover plate, means for supplying said reservoir with oil, a series of distributing pipes rigidly attached to the reservoir and removable from the machine with'the cover plate, said bearings having recesses therein to re ceive the pipes which extend from the reservoir to the actuating parts.

3. The combination of a sewing machine having a hollow frame member. a supporting cover plate detachably carried by said frame member. an. oil supply reservoir attached to the under face of said plate, a series of dis tributing pipes rigidly attached to the reser- \oir and supported thereby whereby said reservoir and pipes may be removed with said cover plate as a unit.

4. The combination of a sewing machine having a hollow frame member, a supporting 7 

